US sanctions Chinese companies producing weapons for Russia for first time

Oleh Pavliuk, Yevhen Kizilov — Thursday, 17 October 2024, 18:43

The US Treasury Department announced the imposition of sanctions on 17 October against three Chinese legal entities and one individual involved in the production of Garpiya (Harpy) long-range strike drones for the Russian army.

Source: a statement by the US Treasury Department, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The Harpy drone, which was first reported on by Reuters in September, is manufactured in Chinese factories in cooperation with Russian defence companies. Experts from China also took part in its design.

The new US restrictions apply to the Chinese companies Xiamen Limbach Aircraft Engine, which produces L550E engines for the Harpies, and Redlepus Vector Industry Shenzhen, which is an intermediary in the supply of drones to Russia.

"These are the first US sanctions imposed on PRC entities directly developing and producing complete weapons systems in partnership with Russian firms," the US Treasury Department said in a statement.

Background:

  • The United States has previously imposed sanctions on companies in China that provide critical resources for the Russian military-industrial base.
  • On the Russian side, Artem Yamshchikov and his company TD Vector have been added to the US blacklist. TD Vector is involved in procurement on behalf of the sanctioned Russian enterprise Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant Kupol, a subsidiary of the Almaz-Antey concern.
  • The United States has repeatedly warned China against supporting the Russian defence industry and has imposed hundreds of sanctions aimed at limiting Moscow's ability to use certain technologies for military purposes.
  • In September, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said that China was providing direct support to the Russian war machine, thereby assisting it in its war against Ukraine.

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